Psychiatry Research
Volume 157, Issue 1 , Pages 115-121, 15 January 2008

Dissociative experiences on ice — Peritraumatic and trait dissociation during the cold pressor test

  • Timo Giesbrecht

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 43 388 2178; fax: +31 43 388 4196.
    • ,
  • Tom Smeets
    • ,
  • Harald Merckelbach

Department of Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Received 10 May 2006; received in revised form 30 August 2006; accepted 11 December 2006.

Abstract 

The present study investigated the relationship between trait dissociation and peritraumatic dissociation during acute painful stimulation. In a sample of 70 undergraduate students, peritraumatic dissociation was induced by means of a cold pressor test, which basically consists of participants holding an arm in ice water for as long as possible. Results indicate that heightened trait dissociation scores were related to shorter durations that participants could sustain the task. However, trait dissociation was not associated with increases in acute dissociative symptoms (i.e., peritraumatic dissociation). These findings are in sharp contrast to the defensive function ascribed to both types of dissociation and also the commonly held assumption that peritraumatic and trait dissociation are intimately linked.

Keywords: Trait dissociation, Pain, Peritraumatic dissociation, Cold pressor test

 

PII: S0165-1781(06)00402-1

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.12.012

Psychiatry Research
Volume 157, Issue 1 , Pages 115-121, 15 January 2008

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